La Grange Restaurant Week gives eateries ‘the boost we needed’

It’s been nearly a year since longtime restaurant owner Steve Palmer has seen some of his regulars sit down and enjoy a meal at Palmer Place.

With the COVID-19 pandemic being especially hard on eateries, La Grange Restaurant Week came just in time.

“The restrictions have been very hard, almost detrimental to our business,” Palmer said. “To see our customers face to face is huge. It’s just joyful. Even the tiniest positive is important in keeping us all open right now.”

This year was the 10th annual La Grange Restaurant Week. Nancy Cummings, executive director of the La Grange Business Association, said even though things looked different, the community still showed up.

Restaurants, Cummings said, typically operate on a small profit margin, making this unprecedented time extremely difficult for many of the local eateries. In a normal year, the restaurants rely on La Grange Restaurant Week to get them through February, pushing their profits up in a quarter that is usually slow, she said.

“In some cases [this year] it hasn’t even been a month-to-month or week-to-week decision to stay open, it’s been a day-to-day decision,” Cummings said. “The mood of this week has been very uplifting in the community, to see people enthusiastic and excited to show support.”

Justin Crowell, general manager of the Elm, said the atmosphere was unlike any other he’s experienced in the restaurant business. The Elm, which has been open since May, has never seen a day without COVID-19 restrictions.

Similarly, Marco’s Kitchen saw its opening day during the pandemic and has yet to fill its dining area with customers.

“We definitely saw an increase in sales,” Crowell said. “We were seeing people who haven’t been out since March. They haven’t been in a restaurant in a year, so it’s amazing when they choose us.”

Crowell said the energy level was through the roof, radiating from staff to patrons.

Marco Conte of Marco’s Kitchen, a fusion food restaurant that serves internationally themed meals, said his business sales went up about 25% during La Grange Restaurant Week. Marco’s Kitchen participated in La Grange Restaurant Week via curbside pickup, something that had not been done until this year. Conte said it was a great feeling to talk to customers on the phone and greet them at their vehicles.

“It means everything to us to have that boost in sales [because] we have to work hard to keep things going,” Conte said. “This was the boost we needed from paying bills to making my own car payment.”

Whether it’s a longtime restaurant in the community or a fresh face, Cummings said the community is showing up for these local businesses. She said La Grange community members understand these businesses are the flavor of the community, and patrons are getting creative in helping out any way they can.

Palmer, Crowell and Conte echoed the sentiment and said they appreciate the community support and seeing so many people come together.

Palmer said it’s the positive things such as the publicity from La Grange, the community and the restaurants working together that reminds him everyone will get through this tough time.

“It’s about La Grange restaurants, not a restaurant in La Grange,” Palmer said.